It’s Maine’s hottest, stickiest, most humid week of the year.
It must be football season.
Thankfully, it only lasts a week.
Many of the state’s best, recently-graduated high school football players will wrap up their short season, and perhaps their careers, at the annual Shrine Lobster Bowl, played Friday at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford. Pre-game festivities start at 6:30 p.m., with kickoff at 7:30.
In it’s 16th year of existence, the game has featured more than 1,200 players and raised more than $250,000 for Shrine charity projects.
Well-represented this week with three offensive players on the West roster are the defending state champs, Bonny Eagle Scots. Quarterback Matt O’Donnell, receiver Kyle McKague and tackle Jeff Thompson should give the West offense some pop.
Also beefing up the talent for the West are fullback Steve Burton from Westbrook High and Gorham speedsters Tyson Nason (running back) and James Sawyer (defensive back).
Gorham head coach Dave Kilborn was added to West head coach James Thurston’s (Fryeburg Academy) staff, and has been making daily trips to Hebron to help coach the special teams.
“It’s definitely a change going from baseball right into football,” said Burton, who was a catcher on Westbrook’s region champion baseball squad this spring and is headed to Maine Maritime Academy to play football. “I thought I’d be in shape for it, but you get out there and you’re using a lot of muscles you don’t use during baseball season.”
Sawyer, who is headed to University of Southern Maine to run track, and Nason, who will play football for Polytech Institute, are coming off a state championship outdoor track season, where the pair were top sprinters.
“It’s my last football game ever,” said Sawyer, “so I’m going to go out and have fun.”
“It’s fun,” said Nason, “but it’s hot, and humid,” and noted that the team runs through two or three practices daily while at Hebron Academy.
Both agree, however, that the hard work is worth the experience.
“You get to meet a lot of guys you’ve played against, and some you haven’t,” said Sawyer. “It’s just a great experience and it’s a good cause too.”
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